La Reina Rosa
by Stari-nite
Summary: After 10 years, Javier flees Castro and Cuba, hoping to make a life and send for his family. However, upon arrival in Miami he finds someone he did not expect. Please read and review!
1. Questions

**A/N:** It has been brought to my attention that the beginning of my story is very similar to another story found on this site. I have not read all the stories in this category, so I'm not sure which story the reviewer is referring to, but it was certainly not my intention to "rip off" another person's story. I have made some changes to the first chapter in an attempt to correct the problem, although I'd like to avoid changing my story completely. I'd like to reiterate that I'm not sure of which story the reviewer was referring to, because I have not read them all. If you feel that it is your story that I have "ripped off", please let me know as it was not my intention.

Chapter 1: Questions

_1962:_

Katey Miller sat in front of the projector in her small apartment in Miami, lost in memories. A single tear slipped down her ivory cheek as she watched a much younger version of herself dance with a young Cuban boy back in 1958, the year her father's job led them all to Cuba. At the age of 18, Katey had just begun her senior year of high school and was none too happy to learn that she was to be uprooted. However, nothing could have prepared her for what she was to find there. _Javier_. The name entered her thoughts unbidden. She spent less than a year in Cuba before her family was forced out when Fidel Castro took power. In that short amount of time, however, Katey fell in love. She fell in love with dancing, and she fell in love with Javier. She was forced to leave Javier behind, but she could not abandon her other love- dancing. After four long years studying at the University of Miami, Katey was finally going to make at least one of her dreams come true. She was going to teach dance. And not just any dance either, Afro-Cuban and Latin Ballroom was what she specialized in during her studies, because no matter how hard she tried, she just could not leave Cuba behind. _Could not leave Javier behind is more like it_, came another unbidden thought. It was for that reason that she decided to make Miami, Florida her home. The Cuban population was flourishing here in Miami, so much so that at times Katey felt like she was still in Cuba. It made her feel closer to Javier.

"Mama?" Katey was torn out of her thoughts when she heard the small voice call out to her. She turned around to find her three year old daughter, Maria, standing in the doorway rubbing the sleep from her eyes. _Eyes so much like her father's_. She couldn't help but smile upon seeing her. Though she didn't have Javier with her, she had his daughter. Their daughter.

"What are doing up, mija? It's ten o'clock. It's past your bedtime."

"My daughter"

"What?"

"Mija, that's what you said right? Doesn't it mean my daughter?" Katey smiled as she nodded her head. When she learned that she was pregnant with Javier's baby, she made sure to learn Spanish. She knew there was no way that Maria could know her father, but she wanted her to know her father's culture at least. So Katey learned Spanish so that she could teach her daughter.

"Yes Maria, that's very good. _Muy excelente_. Now shouldn't you be in bed?"

"I had a bad dream and I got scared. What is that you're watching?" Katey sighed as she motioned for Maria to come sit down beside her. She knew eventually she would ask questions and Katey would have to explain to her about her father. She waited until she settled down beside her and then she told her what happened in Cuba all those years ago and who her father was.

"You see those people on the screen, sweetie? That's me and your father at a dance competition."

"That's my daddy? When will I get to meet him? And how come we don't live with him?"

"Well, you see Maria, a lot of things have happened in Cuba since then. Americans are not very popular down there right now. They don't like us very much, and that's why your grandparents and I had to leave in the first place."

"Oh, but if we can't go to daddy, then daddy will come to us, right?" Katey didn't have the heart to tell her daughter that Javier doesn't even know she exists, so she nodded, although she knew the chances of him coming to America were slim. He loves Cuba too much.

"It's possible, mija. It's possible."


	2. La Reina Rosa

**A/N:** In changing the first chapter, it became necessary to adjust the rest of the story as well to fit the changes. Chapter 2 has been adjusted to accommodate the changes, but overall it still remains the same.

Chapter 2: La Reina Rosa

_1969:_

"Mama!" Katey smiled as she heard the footsteps of her daughter followed shortly by the image of her in the bathroom mirror, standing in the doorway looking at her mother expectantly. Upon first glance, one would think that Maria took after her mother more because they share the same blond hair, and the same smile. However Maria's personality was inherited most definitely from her father. Although she did indeed have Katey's stubbornness and independence, she shared her father's love of music and his sense of responsibility.

"Ready for school already, mija?"

"Yes, Mama, and the bus is going to be here any minute."

"Okay, sweetie, I'm almost done getting ready. Why don't you go wait by the door and we'll walk down to your stop as soon as I'm done here, okay?" Maria reluctantly nodded her head and went to wait. It always took her mother so long to get ready in the mornings, and she did not want to miss her bus.

Katey glanced at the clock as she finally finished with her hair. It really was getting late. Maria's bus would be here any minute, and she still had to come back and open the dance studio. She had a class in a few minutes.

"Okay Maria, grab your book bag honey, let's go." Katey ushered her daughter out of their small, two bedroom apartment above Katey's dance studio, called La Reina Rosa in memory of her time in Cuba, and down a couple of blocks to Maria's bus stop just as the bus was pulling up. Maria's bus stop just happened to be in front of an old diner that they like to frequent, called Ruthie's. Ruthie, the owner, is a friend of theirs and watches over Maria in the afternoons until Katey can arrive to get her.  
  
"Bye sweetie! Have a good day at school! And remember, I'll meet you here after school. Please wait for me this time!" She waved goodbye as she watched the loaded school bus pull out in to the busy Miami morning traffic. They had been living in Miami for almost ten years now, coming down here so that Katey could study dance at the University of Miami. She worried, at first, how Maria would take growing up so far away from the rest of her family, but Maria appears to love it down here. Katey has noticed over the years that Maria quickly became rather fluent, even more so perhaps than Katey herself. It's as if she is taking every opportunity to learn more about her father's culture. _Maybe it's her way of getting to know Javier better._

"Good morning, Ms. Miller." Katey was brought out of her reverie by a young, familiar voice. She turned around to find a tall brunette with sparkling green eyes looking back at her.

"Good morning, Julie. And for the last time, please call me Katey."

"Sorry Ms...um, Katey." Katey smiled at her to let her know it was okay as she led Julie in to the studio to wait for the rest of her class to arrive. The early morning class, which begins at eight, is usually not a very full class for two reasons. A) it's really early for most kids, and b) it's Latin Ballroom dancing. Katey has learned over the years that the fullest classes will always be her Afro-Cuban classes; kids seem to find those more fun and interesting.

"How about we warm up while we wait for the others, okay?"


	3. Eavesdropping

**A/N:** Once again, a few minor details were changed, but nothing major.

Chapter 3: Eavesdropping

Not too far away a man stepped out of a cheap motel, the only one that he had been able to afford after his long trip, with a newspaper in hand- the classified section- and went in search of a job. He had arrived in Miami only yesterday and needed to get a job quickly so that he could a) support himself, and b) send for the rest of his family. The first company listed was an auto shop that needed experienced mechanics. Although his experience was pretty much limited to working on stolen cars back in his own country, he thought he'd give it a try anyway. Plus the receptionist in the motel said it wasn't too far, so it would definitely be convenient.

He walked in A.J.'s Auto Service and found a rather tall, muscular man in a blue jump suit covered in oil at the counter. A patch on the upper left side of his suit revealed that he was, in fact, A.J.

"Excuse me, senor? My name is Javier Suarez. I'm here about the job?"

Javier took a seat in a local diner and sighed in frustration as he crossed out the last place on the list. He had spent the entire day looking for a job, and so far had ended up with nothing. Tired and worried, he ordered a cup of coffee and let his mind wander. He couldn't help but feel a little guilty. Everyone thought that when Castro took over, things would get better. He believed it so deeply, and so had Carlos. Their father had died because he believed it. So they stayed in Cuba longer than they should have. They waited for it to get better, and they hoped. At first things did get better, but then it became clear that they had delivered their country into the hands of a dictator. The stress took its toll on them all, especially his abuelo, his grandfather. Finally, he passed away last year, in part due to his age but also because of stress. His death awoke them all to the fact that they needed to get away, and so it was decided. Javier would go first to America, and once he was settled in and had enough money he would send for Carlos, Rafael, and their mother. They were depending on him. And yet all he had been able to think about was _her._ The knowledge that he was_ in_ her country, on the same continent as_ her_ never left his mind. The possibilities plagued him. But so did the doubts. Did she find a new love? Did she forget him? Does she still dance? Though ten years had passed since he last saw her, he kept his word. He kept her with him, always. He never forgot. He wondered where she was right now, and what she was doing. But before he could go further, the sound of her name ripped him from his thoughts.

"Katey Miller" Javier whirled around to find a group of teenagers sitting in a booth behind him, all of them talking excitedly to a younger boy in the corner.

"I'm telling you, she's amazing. I've been a student of hers since her studio opened six years ago. She's an expert," exclaimed a tall brunette sitting across from the younger boy. The others nodded their heads in agreement.

"Listen to Julie, she's Katey's best student." The brunette, Julie supposedly, blushed in response.

"I always figured though that someone so good at Cuban dance would actually be from Cuba," responded the young boy doubtfully. Julie immediately countered.

"See Bobby, that's just it. She's not from Cuba, but word is that she lived there for a time when she was younger, before Castro took over. No one knows exactly what happened because she won't talk about it, not even to me, but supposedly she met some guy there who taught her how to dance and they fell in love. Her family was forced to leave when Castro took over and she never saw him again." Javier's mind whirled with even more questions and possibilities as he heard the teenagers talking. Is it really his Katey? His Queen of La Rosa Negra? And was she really a dance instructor? Of Afro-Cuban dance no less? If so, then maybe she hadn't forgotten him after all.

"Excuse me senora, do you know where I can find a dance instructor by the name of Katey Miller?" He stopped the waitress; a kind elderly lady named Ruthie, and asked her.

"Why yes, as a matter of fact. She comes in here a lot, as do her students." With this last statement, she pointed to the group behind Javier.

"In fact, she was in here earlier today and she told me she was looking for another dancer to help teach her classes, were you going to go apply for the job?" Javier nodded eagerly. This day was starting to look good after all. He'd love nothing more than for her to be in his arms again.

"Well in that case, she owns a dance studio a couple blocks from here called La Reina Rosa. Go out and take a left. It's not far, and you can't miss it. Good luck to you."

"Thank you, senora." He quickly replied before dashing out of the door and down the street.


	4. Misunderstanding

**A/N:** I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to review my story. I really appreciate the feedback! After the whole deal with whether or not I was stealing someone else's story, I didn't feel much like continuing, but since I've been getting such positive feedback, I decided I must! I've read Danielle's Rendezvous in Havana and I can understand how some would thing that I stole her idea, but I assure you our stories are very different. And I wanted to thank Danielle for being so understanding. And now for chapter 4!

Chapter 4: Misunderstanding

"Bye guys! I'll see you all next time! And remember, keep practicing!" Katey smiled and waved goodbye to her last class of the day. She loved teaching and dancing, she really did, but taking on so many classes a day by herself was definitely starting to take its toll. She was exhausted. She'd been trying to hire another dance instructor to help teach some of the classes, but so far what few offers she's gotten just weren't what she was looking for. They were either not qualified enough, or too conservative and formal for the style of dancing that she taught. She knew she was being a little too picky, but she loved the kids that she taught, and would not entrust them to just anyone. They were like a second family to her. _Speaking of family_, she thought as she suddenly remembered that she hadn't talked to her sister in a while and needed to call her before Susie had a fit. Katey made her way in to the back room of her studio which doubled as an office, and an out of the way place for Maria to play during classes.

"Mija, I need to call your Aunt Susie, why don't you go play in the main room for a while, okay?" Katey dropped into her chair behind her desk, which was rather plain and made out of wood. It was usually used only when Katey was paying bills, or dealing with other business type issues. To the left of the desk stood a filing cabinet, which helped Katey to keep all of her documents organized and readily available. Across the room from Katey's desk was Maria's little play area. Books, games, and other various means of entertainment were strewn about because, unlike Katey, Maria was rarely concerned with organization. She picked up the phone and dialed the number for her sister's house in New York. Susie's husband, Robert, was a lawyer and they moved to New York City shortly after getting married so he could start up his own practice.

"Susie? Hey, it's Katey. How is everything?"

"Katey, hi! Everything's good! Things have been a little slow at the office lately, but business is starting to pick up. Robert's really relieved; you know how he likes keeping busy. Bobby just started school, and he's really enjoying it. He comes home every day and tells me all about the new friends he made. How's everything going with you? How's Maria doing? I haven't seen you guys in so long."

"Things are going pretty well, but they'll be better once I manage to find a decent dance instructor to help me."

"Still no luck, huh?"

"No, I just can't seem to find someone that fits with what I'm looking for." There was a slight pause on the other end as Susie took this in.

"Katey, if you keep comparing them to Javier, then of course they're not going to be good enough." Katey didn't know what to say to this. It was not the answer that she was looking for. Luckily though, she didn't have to say anything, as Susie dropped the subject and moved on.

"So how's Maria?" Katey relaxed as her sister led them into a more comfortable subject.

"She's doing well. She is out in the main room right now with the record player on, no doubt dancing as well. She's too much like her father."

Javier's heart leaped into his throat as he finally reached his destination. The vibrant red rose painted on the glass by the entrance to the studio, along with the words _La Reina Rosa_ announced that it was indeed the place he was looking for. On the door was a picture of Katey, his Katey, announcing her as the owner and primary instructor. Nervous energy, excitement, and adrenaline coursed through him as he opened the door and stepped inside. He found himself inside a large dance hall, with a record player and several records off to the side. He smiled as he saw that, unlike most dance studios, there was no mirror on the back wall. She remembered what he had taught her back in Cuba. Over by a record player there was a young girl, dancing to the music and completely oblivious to his presence. She reminded him so much of Katey it was unreal. However, he didn't make the connection as his mind was focused on one thing only, and that was finding her. He found an open door across the room, and walked in that direction, hoping it was the right one. He stopped in the doorway and stared. Sitting in a chair, with her back to him, was Katey. Even though he couldn't see her face, he'd recognize that hair anywhere and her voice was just as he remembered it. He waited, not wanting to interrupt her conversation, and listened to her talk.

"She's doing well. She is out in the main room right now with the record player on, no doubt dancing as well. She's too much like her father." There was a pause, as the person on the other end replied.

"I miss him so much." Javier's heart sank as he heard her talk of this other man. It finally clicked in his brain that the little girl he saw was Katey's daughter. It hurt to think that she had made another life here, had moved on, had left him in Cuba instead of taking him with her like she promised. He backed up slowly, unwilling and unable to comprehend. He wasn't paying attention however, and bumped into something behind him. He turned around to see the little girl, Katey's daughter presumably, standing behind him looking up at him with chocolate brown eyes surrounded by Katey's blond hair.


	5. Unexpected Encounters

**A/N:** Thank you all so much for the wonderful reviews. They're very flattering and encouraging! By the way, although I've taken Spanish classes, I am by no means fluent, so please correct me if my Spanish is wrong. Also, does anyone know which keys to push for Spanish accents and whatnot?

Chapter 5: Unexpected Encounters  
  
Maria was surprised when she looked over to see a strange man standing at the door to her mama's office. Something about him was really familiar and it was really bugging her that she couldn't figure out why. She walked over to him, intending to get a good look at him, when he suddenly backed up into her and turned around in surprise. He looked down at her strangely, almost as if he was scared of her. She was unaware, however, as she stared up at him with her brow crinkled in confusion and her little, pink tongue poking out in concentration. Finally it dawned on her as her brown eyes got wider and wider with realization and excitement. This man was the same man that her mama had been dancing with on that film of her back in Cuba! The very same film that she had been watching since she was three years old! This man was her daddy!Javier looked down on the little girl with apprehension. After what he had just heard he was not prepared to meet and talk to Katey's daughter; especially a daughter that Katey had with another man. He couldn't help but find her adorable though, as she stared up at him with such a look of concentration; almost as if she was trying to remember something that was just out of her mind's reach. Her eyes got bigger and bigger as a smile began to spread over her face. It was his brow now that furrowed in confusion, as it seemed as if she had just had a revelation.  
  
"I'm sorry, I was not paying attention." He apologized for bumping into her, although it didn't look like she was all that concerned about it at the moment.  
  
"I know you," she said suddenly, catching him completely off guard. He knelt down to her eye level before replying.  
  
"You do?"  
  
"You're Javier. Mama's been showing me a film strip of you and her in Cuba since I was three years old." _She told her daughter about us? Why?_ As if she had read his mind, Maria continued.  
  
"She says that you are my daddy. She also says that bad things are happening in Cuba and that the Cubans don't like us very much right now and that's why we couldn't live down there with you. She talks about you and Cuba a lot, and usually when she's done she goes into her room and sits by herself. I never know what she does in there." Maria gave a tiny shrug before continuing.  
  
"She made me learn Spanish. Wanna see?" Javier was too stunned to do anything but nod numbly.  
  
"Ella me enseno espanol. She taught me Spanish. She always said 'Maria, it is important that you know a little about your father's culture. It is where you come from' or something like that," she said, mimicking Katey quite well. _This little girl is my daughter. She is mine and Katey's daughter. She has my eyes, and Katey's smile._ All the while Maria was talking Javier was attempting to process this new, unexpected, information. At first he couldn't believe it; he wouldn't allow himself to believe it. Then, as she was talking, he saw things about her. She had his eyes and she obviously loved music and dance as much as he did from what he could tell from seeing her earlier by the record player. _And Katey had taught her Spanish. Katey had not let her grow up without knowing about me._ That perhaps is what meant the most to Javier. That, knowing there was a good chance Maria would never know Javier, Katey had taken the time to make sure that Maria was at least aware of Javier and his culture, which was her culture as well. It all of a sudden just registered in his head. Sure, he definitely needed to talk to Katey, but right now he wanted to talk to his daughter and get to know her. He sat down in front of her and motioned for her to join him.  
  
"So, your name is Maria right? That is a pretty name. Que bonita!" She smiled, all of a sudden shy, at such a compliment.  
  
"So when's your birthday Maria?"  
  
"September 1, 1959" was her quiet reply. _Exactly nine months later_, he thought. He couldn't help but think back to the night when she was conceived. It was one of the happiest and most peaceful nights of his life, even though they didn't win the competition. He still remembered it so vividly. It was the night Batista had fled the country. That night Javier and so many other Cubans like him had so much hope that with Castro in charge things would get better. He was so happy and relieved and he got celebrate by spending the night with the woman he loved. It had not even occurred to him until after that night that Castro coming into power would mean Katey had to leave. He was brought out of his thoughts rather abruptly as Maria asked him another question.  
  
"So are you going to stay here with Mama and me? Are you going to be my daddy?" He wanted to say yes, he really did, but the truth was that he really needed to speak with Katey. He didn't want to make a promise to Maria that he couldn't keep. He still had to get a job somewhere and save up enough money to send for his mother, Carlos, and Rafael. He was saved from having to reply, however, as he heard a voice call from inside the room behind him.  
  
"Mija, your Aunt Susie is on the phone, why don't you come and say hello!" He looked at Maria in surprise when he heard Katey's voice. He had almost forgotten that she was just inside that back room, so close to where he was. Maria wasn't paying her any attention though. She was still looking at him, obviously wanting an answer to her question before she left him.  
  
"Maria, did you not hear me? I said your Aunt Susie is on the ph-"Katey stopped talking suddenly, and Javier turned around to see her standing in the doorway to the back room staring down at him in shock. 


	6. Reunion

**A/N:** I am so sorry it took me this long to update. I had some serious trouble writing this chapter. It was a mixture of writer's block, and uncertainty over what a guy like Javier would really do in this situation. I tried to make it as realistic as possible, and I hope I succeeded.

Chapter 6: Reunion

Katey wanted so badly to walk up to him and touch him, or to run her fingers through his hair. Anything to prove that he was really there, and that she wasn't just dreaming. She had imagined this moment so many times in her dreams, but now that it was actually happening she didn't know what to do. Javier was here, in America. He actually left Cuba. Why? She had dreamed about it and wished for it for so long, but she never imagined that it might actually happen.

"Javier?" She asked hopefully, in a desperate attempt to make sure that this was real. The phone was forgotten as she looked at the man she had been longing to see for ten years. He was a little taller, with muscles that were more defined than she remembered, but the greatest change was in his face, and behind his eyes. The years of stress and toil that he went through to support his family were clearly visible even though his face still retained that ever-youthful appearance. It was a look that Katey could only describe as _worn out_. She knew then that his years in Castro's Cuba were not all that he thought they would be and that is what had driven him to America. She watched as he slowly got to his feet, his eyes never leaving her the entire time. It was then that she noticed that Maria was sitting right in front of him. Doubt and panic filled her. She knew that Maria would have recognized Javier almost immediately and may have said something to him in her excitement. _Did he know that Maria was his daughter? Was he angry? Was he happy?_ His face revealed none of those as his eyes drank her in. They have not spoken to each other at all since Katey left Cuba so he wouldn't have known how to get in touch with her, and she had been too afraid to try and contact him. She knew how much his family meant to him, and she did not want to burden him with a child that he probably would never see. She just hoped that he would understand and give her a chance to explain everything to him.

Javier rose to his feet slowly, his eyes taking in the sight before them that they had so craved to see for the last ten years. Time had been good to her. The laugh lines, and the worry lines, in her face were more prominent, no doubt from having to raise and support a daughter by herself, but besides that she looked exactly like he remembered her. He heard her say his name and reveled in the sound of it before nodding his head in reply.

"I missed you," he said as he walked up to her and gently laid his hand on her cheek, needing to feel for himself that she was there.

"I missed you too." He watched the tears glisten in her eyes as she replied. That was all the answer he needed to know that she had not forgotten him. Without another word she threw her arms around him and he held her as tight as he could without suffocating her. They stayed like that for some time until Javier finally pulled away. As much as he missed her, there were things that he just had to know; questions that needed to be answered. Katey's eyes searched his for a moment before turning to Maria.

"Maria, why don't you go and say hi to your Aunt Susie while Javier and I talk, okay?" Maria nodded and walked into the back office. Katey lead Javier over to a couple of chairs that were set up in another corner of the studio.

"I guess she told you then. I kind of figured that would be the case." She received only a nod in response.

"I can't imagine what you must be feeling right now and I know you must have a lot of questions, but let me explain okay?" When he didn't protest, she thought it safe to continue.

"I didn't even know I was pregnant with Maria until about two months after we got back to America. I was still so upset over having to leave Cuba and leave you that the possibility of being pregnant never entered my mind until I started getting morning sickness on a regular basis, and even then it was my mom who figured it out and took me to a doctor. As soon as the doctor confirmed it I knew it was yours. My mother was not pleased to say the least. I think deep down she secretly hoped that I would either have an abortion or give it up for adoption. After all, having a baby out of wedlock is not something that is looked well upon in high society. But I couldn't do it."

"Thank you, for not giving her up." Katey looked up in surprise, and smiled before continuing.

"I couldn't give up this baby knowing that she was a part of you. At the same time, I had refused to be a burden to anyone, including my parents. She was my responsibility. That's why I didn't try to contact you and tell you. I know you Javier. I know how hard you work to take care of your family. And I also know that at that time there was no way you'd leave Cuba. Relations between Cuba and America had started to get bad by that time and I knew that there was no way I could get Maria and I safely back into Cuba. I knew there was a chance you'd never get to see your daughter. I didn't want to burden you with knowledge of a daughter in another country that you'd probably never see when I knew that you had enough to take care of." Katey finished her explanation and looked at Javier again anxiously. She wanted so badly for him to understand and forgive her, but this was reality and not some fairytale. She waited impatiently while he processed all that she had told him.


	7. Answers

**A/N:** I am SO sorry it has taken me this long to get this chapter out! Thank you all so much for being so patient with me. Classes just started last week and I've been very busy since then. It's going to take me longer now between my classes and my job and everything else, but I will get these chapters out as soon as I can.

Chapter 7: Answers

Javier was having a hard time thinking straight. Part of him knew that Katey was right, that it would have killed him to know that he had a daughter in another country that he would never see. That part of him was almost grateful that she never bothered to try and tell him. Almost. At the same time, however, another part of him felt so guilty that she had to take on the responsibility of raising and supporting a child, _their_ child, by herself; especially as young as she was. That part of him was also hurt that she didn't include him in that responsibility. He may not have been able to go to America himself, but he would have tried to send money or something to help her. Even though he heard her explanation and knew it made sense, it didn't stop the bruise that his pride sustained. It felt as if she didn't fully trust him or didn't have enough faith in him. He looked over at Katey and found her sitting in the chair looking down at her hands clasped tightly together in her lap, the anxiety pouring off of her in waves.

"You could have told me, you know." Her head jerked up when she finally heard him speak. When his words registered her shoulders slumped and she looked down at her lap again. She was expecting something to that degree, and knew that she deserved it.

"It hurts to think that you didn't have enough faith in me to contact me and let me share in the responsibility of raising our child. If you know me like you say you do then you know that I would have had money wired over or something to help support you and Maria. She is not just your responsibility Katey, she is mine as well." Her defensive side kicked into gear at his accusation that she didn't know him. She did know him, and that's why she did what she did. She sat up in straight and looked him dead in the eyes as she defended herself and her actions.

"Javier, it's for that very reason that I did not want to tell you. I know you better than you give me credit for. Of course you would have sent money to help support Maria, I never doubted that. I never thought for a second that you would shirk you responsibilities towards your daughter. _However_, I also know that you most likely didn't have a whole lot of money to spare in the first place. You already had an entire family to care for, you didn't need Maria and I adding to the package. Like I said before, I did not want to be a burden to you." Javier watched as she seemed to deflate, leaning back in the chair once more and breathing heavy from her outburst. It was then that he saw the strength that his Katey possessed, and he marveled at it. The strength of will, and the courage and determination, it took for her to not only leave her family behind and raise Maria in a strange city, but to raise her without ever asking help from anybody. He softened as the true reason behind this whole mess was finally revealed to him.

"Mi reina," he began tenderly, "you could never be a burden to me. Neither could our daughter. I am sorry if I ever made you think otherwise. I am sorry that you had to raise our daughter alone." His comment was met with silence at first. He watched as tears slowly made their way down her cheeks and wondered if that was a good thing or a bad thing. The last thing he wanted to do was upset her.

"It's not your fault. I am the one that chose to raise her by myself. In the end, it was my decision to not ask for help. You had no way of knowing, Javier. I cannot blame you for this. What is important is that you're here now right? To stay?" She looked up at him hopefully, silently begging him not to leave after getting her hopes up.

"Si, to stay." He could not hold back a smile as he saw her eyes light up at his reply.

"What changed your mind? About Cuba, I mean? I know how much you love it there; I never imagined that you would want to live anywhere else."

"My grandpa passed away last year. The stress that entered all our lives after Castro took power became too much for his already tired body."

"I'm so sorry." Even though Katey had never really gotten to know his grandfather, he had always seemed like a nice guy, and Javier certainly was fond of him.

"It's okay. It was hard, and Mama didn't take it too well, but it made Carlos and I finally accept that it wasn't going to get any better, despite what we had hoped for, and that we needed to get our family out as soon as possible. So we came here. Just the thought of coming to America made me wonder about you, but I never dreamed that I would actually find you here. It is a miracle.

"But enough about that, I want to hear about you and Maria. She said that you taught her Spanish? How?" Katey quickly warmed up to the subject of Maria. She was so happy that he was here and that he seemed to be okay with Maria, even wanted to know more about her.

"Well it didn't take me long to decide what I wanted to do with my life after we got back from Cuba. I knew that I was never going to be happy doing anything but dancing, and when I found out about Maria I knew also that I wanted her to be exposed to the Cuban culture as much as possible so that she would know where it is that she came from. So after she was born I moved us down here and studied dance at the University of Miami. While I was there I also took classes in Spanish. As I learned it I taught it to her. She takes after you in so many ways Javier; I couldn't live with myself if I didn't in some way explain to her about her father and where he came from." She stopped herself, a little embarrassed that she had revealed that last bit. Curious as to his reaction, she looked over at him to find the distinct sparkle of unshed tears in his eyes. It took him a minute to compose himself before he choked out a response.

"She does?" Katey nodded silently, becoming emotional as well as she watched the wonder and happiness reflected in his eyes. It took them both a few moments to get their emotions under control before they were able to continue. Before long though Javier was asking more questions and Katey was happily answering every one of them. They were so lost in their conversation that they didn't even notice their daughter standing in the doorway watching them with an absolutely giddy smile on her face, reveling in the sight of her mother and father talking and laughing and smiling and just being _here._


End file.
